Liz Tapper - Professional Hand Embroiderer, Designer & Tutor

Illuminated letters were usually the first letter of a page or paragraph, with the letter greatly enlarged and decorated first using gold leaf, and then completed with coloured paints using a very fine brush. The term ‘illuminated’ comes from the use of the gold leaf, which reflected the light and made the letter appear to glow. Animals, plants and mythical beasts were used to decorate the letter. By the 7th Century, illuminated letters had become a highly respected art form, particularly in Ireland and England.

Your chosen letter will be worked in stranded cotton and gold thread on a satin background and will therefore cover the techniques of surface embroidery and goldwork.

The embroidered illuminated letter kit includes all materials required - calico backing fabric, duchess satin in a beautiful antique ivory, three skeins of stranded cotton in dark green, purple & pink, Japanese gold thread, Gutermann's sewing thread, beeswax, an embroidery needle, a chenille needle with buttonhole thread for 'plunging' the gold threads, a stitch guide, a stitch diagram and comprehensive instructions. The 'E' letter shown is 10cm high, by 11cm wide. The height of the other letters will also be 10cm, but the width will vary slightly depending on the letter chosen. ('I' is much narrower than an 'M' for example.)

You will need a hands free ring frame and embroidery scissors. You may find a thimble, fine ended tweezers, needle threader, magnifier and daylight lamp useful.

I have designed the entire alphabet, so there is sure to be a letter to suit you! Please specify which letter(s) you require when ordering.

Suitable for all skill levels.

Please contact me to discuss shipping costs if you would like to purchase more than one item from my shop. For shipping to the Channel Islands, please select the UK as the destination.

Surface Embroidery Illuminated Letter Kit

£25.00Price

Calico backing fabric

duchess satin in antique ivory

Japanese gold thread

beeswax

embroidery needle

hand transferred design

full instructions

chenille needle with buttonhole thread

Gutermanns sewing thread

dark green stranded cotton

purple stranded cotton

pink stranded cotton

stitch guide and diagram

I make every effort to ensure everything is of the highest quality and workmanship, and packaged accordingly.

If however, an item is faulty and you would like to return, please notify me within 14 days. Once the item has been received back (in the original unused condition) a replacement or refund of the cost of the item and your postage can be arranged. If returning an item, please include details of your name, address and telephone/e-mail contact.

If you are not satisfied with your item I will happily refund the purchase price once the item is returned and deemed to be in a re-saleable condition, provided it is returned to me within 30 days of receipt (in the original unused condition), postage paid by the sender. Always ask for a Proof of Posting Certificate, as we will need a copy of this should your parcel get lost in the post. I do not refund delivery postage or return postage should you not be satisfied with the item.

Delivery: Unless otherwise requested, all items are posted by Royal Mail's First Class Signed or Tracked service to all UK addresses. For items available in stock I aim to despatch within 3 days of receiving an order. For made to order lampshades (which will be indicated on the product page), please allow 1-2 weeks for despatch and for specially commissioned lampshades a delivery date will be confirmed by e-mail.

Where International Postage is offered on an item, the price quoted is for the Royal Mail 'International Signed For' airmail service. Delivery quoted by Royal Mail is for 3-5 days for Europe and 5-7 days for outside Europe. If another service is required, i.e. non-signed for, please let me know and I can quote accordingly for you. Where applicable, a CN22 Customs Declaration form will be completed and attached to the outside of the parcel. Please note that if orders placed outside of the EU are liable for customs duty/import taxes on delivery, payment of such customs amounts are the responsibility of the person the package is addressed to. Please understand the seller will not be held responsible for delay due to any customs intervention.

Please ensure your delivery address is correct as I cannot redirect a parcel once it is in transit, nor am I able to replace the order free of charge. If an item is lost due to the incorrect address being given and you would still like the item, a new one must be purchased. No discount will be offered.

All my kits are packaged using recyclable and/or biodegradable materials.